Cipher-code.



PATENTED 00T. 2, 1906.

E. E. PETERSON.

GIPHBP. GODE. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 3. 1904. BBNE'WED MAE. '1, 1906.

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PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

E. E. PETERSON. UIPHER CODE.

' APPLICATION FILED Nov. s. 1904. BBNEWBD MAE. 7. 190e.

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ERNEST E. PETERSON, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CIPHERCODE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ClPHER-CODE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1906.

Application filed November 3, 1904:. Renewed March 7, 1906. Serial No.304,779.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST EUGENE PE- TERsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cipher-Codes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cipher-codes, and relates particularly to acode especially designed and adapted for the transmission of cablegrams.

The object of the invention is to provide a code or system whereby thenumber of words required for transmitting of a message may be largelyreduced, thereby eecting a corresponding saving in the cost oftransmitting such message.

To this end a code or system of my invention consists of the variousfeatures and combinations of features hereinafter described and claimed.i

In the accompanying drawings tables illustrating a code of my inventionare illustrated.

Figure l shows sample code-tables numbered with numbers of three figureseach, beginning with 000, and which may run as high as may be desired upto 999, inclusive. Fig. 2 shows sample code-tables numbered with numbersof two figures each, beginning with 00, and which may run as high as maybe desired up to 99, inclusive. Figs. 3 and 4 are keys to be used inconnection with tables numbered with three-figure numbers,(referred toherein as five-numeral tables.) Fig.. 5 is a key to be used inconnection with tables shown in Fig. 2 numbered with two-figure numbers,(referred to herein as four-numeral tables.)

A cipher-code of my invention comprises a plurality of duplicate tablesA', consisting of the numbers B of two figures each, preferablybeginning 00, 01, 02, &c., to and including 99. These tables arenumbered at their left-hand margins consecutively with numbers C of twoor three figures, depending on the desired scope of the code, preferablybeginning 000, 001, 002, &c., to and including 999, where the tables arenumbered with three-figure numbers, as shown in Fig. 1, thus providingfor one thousand tables, or when the tables are numbered with two-figurenumbers, as shown in Fig. 2, be-

'lard, as in Fig. 2.

ginning 00, 01, 02, &c., to and including 99, thus providing for onehundred different tables. By using a smaller number of tables it isobvious that a code of correspondingly smaller scope may be provided.Thus with one thousand tables of one hundred numbers each one hundredthousand combinations are possible, and with one hundred tables of onehundred numbers each ten thousand combinations are possible. For purposeof convenient reference these tables will be designated as code-tables.

As shown, the tables are arranged in ten vertical and ten transverserows of ten numbers each, preferably arranged consecutively and readingfrom left to right, the tablenumbers being preferably placed at the leftof the tables which they indicate. Above each vertical row of numbersand at the right of each transverse row of numbers are placed desiredexpressions-such, for example, as are usually. found in otherciphercodes now in common use. Obviously, therefore, each number in eachtable may designate two different expressions. This arrangement is ofparticular value in cabling quantities and prices of merchandise. Toillustrate, suppose that the tables are arranged with-particularreference for quotations on packing-house products, the particularcommodity being ham, as in Fig. 1, or All of the tables relating to thiscommodity are headed Ham and Lard, respectively, accompanied by anydesired description of the particular hams or lard referred to. At thetop of each row is placed the quantity of the commodity, 'ham or lard,indicated by the numbers in that vertical row, and at the right ofeachtransverse row is placed the price. Hams for export are commonly putup in boxes containing five hundred pounds each and orders for same runfor five boxes or a multiple of five.

Above the different vertical rows of a series of tables are placed thequantities of the commodity, respectively indicated by the numbers insaid rows, as 5 boxes, 10 boxes," &c., to 50 boxes, inclusive. If it isde- IOO sired to provide for quoting or ordering sive, and so on up, asmay be desired. The Y marks, &c.

tables shown only provide for a maximum of fifty boxes of hams, Fig. 1,or tierces of lard, Fig. 2.

The prices are indicated in desired units of value, as in shillings forcodes to be used in commerce with Great Britain and her colonies, marksfor German commerce, francs for French commerce, &c.

Except in extraordinary cases the range of prices for packing-houseproducts is not very great from day to day, and it is therefore onlynecessary to quote the last figure of the number to correctly indicatethe price instead of the full number. For example, suppose the price ofhams is eighty-five shillings per hundred weight. It would not benecessary to indicate 85 in full, but merely the last figure, 5, bywhich the buyer and seller would understand that eighty-five shillingswas meant, as the market at the time was between eighty and ninetyshillings. Similarly 0 would indicate 80. 1 would indicate 81, Sac., or,if the market was between seventy and eighty shillings, theseexpressions would in like manner indicate 70, 71, 8m.

In the tables provision is made for quotations varying by one-fourth ofa unit, in the case assumed one-fourth of a shilling per hundredweightof ham or lard. Four tables of ten transverse rows each will thus besufficient to cover any usual range of price varying by one-fourth of aunit. Each series of tables will thus contain at least four tables, andin practice I prefer to utilize an additional table or tables in eachseries, in whole or in part, to indicate terms, conditions, re-

As shown, each series of tables comprises four and one-half tables.'

Obviously the arrangement of the tables may be varied as may be desiredor to meet varying conditions. For example, each table instead ofcontaining ten vertical and ten transverse rows might contain fivevertical and twenty transverse or four vertical and twenty-fivetransverse or a single column of one hundred numbers.

When it is desired to send a cablegram as an order for a number of boxesof hams at a given price and a quantity of lard, the vertical row,indicating the desired quantity, as the desired number of boxes of hamsor tierces of lard, is followed down to the number in the transverserow, at the right of which appears the desired price. Thus a singlenumber of two figures will indicate both the quantity and the price, andto identify this number it is only necessary to give the table-numberand the number at the intersection of the vertical and transverse rowsrespectively designating the desired quantity and the price, which canbe written as a single number of'five figures if the tables are numbered'with three-figure numbers. or of four figures if the tables arenumbered with two-figurenumbers, the first two or three figuresdesignating the table-number and the last two the number at theintersection of the vertical and transverse rows, which designate thequantity and price. For example, suppose it is desired to order fifteenboxes of hams at eighty-four and one-fourth shillings per hundredweight.note that the number at the intersection of the vertical row headed 15boxes and of the transverse row to the right of which appears Ll is 72.We note also that this number is in the table numbered 001. The cipheridentifying `this number is therefore first the number of the table 001,followed by the number in that table to be designated 72, the fullnumberbeing 00172,

or vice versa, the number 00172 in a message would indicate, first, thetable-number 001, and, second, the desired number in that table 72,which by running out the vertical and transverse rows is found to Byreferring to the tables we indicate fifteen boxes at eighty-four andonefourth shillings per hundredweight, and similarly with the tablesnumbered with two-figure numbers.

Under the rules of the cable companies a number of five figures or lessconstitutes a word, whereas words may contain ten letters, if combinedin a pronounceable word. Thus by providing a suitable key whereby asingle word may be made to designate and identify two numbers of four orfive figures each it is obvious that the number of words necessary to betransmitted may be reduced one-half, thus eHecting a saving of fifty percent. in the cost of transmission. This I have accomplished and will nowproceed to explain my key to be used in transcribing and translatingcipher cablegrams sent or received under my code.

I will first describe the key to be used in connection with the tablesnumbered with the three-figure numbers only, which for convenientreference will hereinafter be referred to as five-numeral codes, as allof the numbers referring to said tables will contain Jrive figures, asheretofore explained. Following this I will explain the key to be usedin connection with the tables numbered vwith the two-figure numbers,which will hereinafter be referred to as four-numeral codes, as all ofthe numbers referring to said tables will contain four figures.l I willthen explain the method of applying said keys in practical use.

The key for the five-numeral codes consists, first, Fig. 3, of thenumbers which are contained in each of the code-tables-that is, "00, 01,02, &c., to and includin 99, preferably arranged in five vertica rows oftwenty numbers each and reading consecutively from top to bottom of therows. Above the first row of figures is placed the vowel "A, above thesecond E, the

IOC

third I, the fourth O, and the fifth U. At the left of each transverserow of numbers is placed a different consonant, preferably arranged inorder from top to bottom thereof. This will require all of theconsonants in the alphabet excepting one. As in the composition of wordsthe letter f Q only occurs followed by the letter U, the letter Q is notused. Said key also comprises, second, Fig. 4, the numerals 0, 1, 2,&c., to 9, inclusive, placed opposite each of which, respectively, is aconsonant, as shown, the consonants 13, 0, (l D7)} ((F!) (I G) ((HJllL!) MJ ((P .R. This table is accompanied by an explanatory note, asfollows: Use only in terminating a word when necessary. The manner ofusing this code is as follows: Suppose that it is desired to ordertwenty-five boxes of hams at eighty-three and one-half shillings perhundredweight, ten boxes at eighty-two shillings per hundredweight, andforty boxes at eighty-five shillings per hundredweight. Astheretoforeexplained, these several orders are indicated in the tables by thefollowing numbers, respectively: twentyfivev boxes ateighty three andone half shillings 00144, ten boxes at eighty-two shillings 00081, fortyboxes at eighty-five shillings 00207. Under the present rules governingthe ltransmission, of cablegrams each of these numbers would constitutea word, and the transmission of the order would require three words. Bymeans of my key for the five-numeral codes I am enabled to transpose anytwo numbers of five figures into a single word of ten letters,conforming to the rules for the transmission of cablegrams in thefollowing manner: In transposing into words said numbers are broken upinto groups of two figures, beginning at the left vhand of the firstnumber. In the case assumed these groups are as follows:00-14-40-00-81-00-20-7. Referring to the key shown in Fig. 3, theletters found at the left and above the transverse and vertical rows atthe intersection of which said numbers are found are substituted forsaid numbers, respectively, all of the letters substituted fo'r thegroups of each unit being oined to form a word. Making the substitutionsfor the above groups, we find the equivalents thereof to be as follows:

or joining these letters to form words of ten letters as far as possiblewe derive the following words: Batabibacu and UBabem,' which are-pronounceable words not `containin more than ten letters, conformableto the ru es relating to the transmission of cablegrams. Vice versa,when a cablegram is received referring to the five-numeral codes it isdivided up into groups of two letters, beginning at the left, and thenumbers found a-t the intersection of the transverse and vertical rowsto the left of and above which the letters of each group respectivelyappear are substituted therefor. Thus upon receipt of the messagecontaining the words UB'atabibacu Babem they are divided up into groupsas follows: Ba-ta-bi-ba-cu Ba-be-m and substituting in the keys lFigs. 8and 5,

we derive the following numbers:

B A (Fig. 3) 00 T A H n' B I H (l B A (l C U H H B A l( Il B E (K (l z M(Fig. 4) 7 which combined into five-figure numbers gives 00144, 00081,00207, of each of which the first three figures constitute thetable-number and the last two the numbers contained in said tables,respectively, to indicate the desired quantity and price of thecommodity ordered, or by referring to the tables, Fig. 1,00144 equals 44in the 001 table, indicating twenty-five boxes of hams at eighty-threeand one-half shillings, "00081 equals t(81'in the 000 table, indicatingten boxes of hams at eighty-two shillings, and 00207 equals O7 in the002 table, indicating forty boxes of hams at eightyfive shillings. Inthe case assumed two words are thus made. to take the place of three,and where the number of numbers is even or a message comprises a largenumber of numbers a saving of practically fifty per cent. is effected.

The key for the four-numeral codes consists of the same numbers as thefive-numeral codes; but instead of being arranged as in the key in thefive-numeral codes they are arranged in twenty vertical rows of fivefigures, the vowels A, E, I, 0, and U being placed at the left ofdifferent transverse rows of numbers and the consonants, except HQ,being placed above the diHerent vertical rows. As'with the fivenumeralcodes, the numbers are broken up into groups of two figures, and the-letters at the left of and above thetransverse and vertical rows at theintersection of whicha number is found are substituted therefor andcombined into words, the last of which may contain less than tenletters. The first letter of a word, `as it isa consonant or a vowel,thus aords an index as to whether the message refers tothe five-numeralor the 4fournumeral codes. The method of translating IOO TIO

with the four-numeral key is identical with the described method ofusing the five-numeral key and will be fully understood without afurther description thereof.

It will be noted thatthe numbers of the key-tables are arrangeddifferently in Figs. 3 and 5. This difference in arrangement isimmaterial, however, and either key-table may be used with either seriesof code-tables, as may be desired. v

Number messages from the four-numeral code will always comprise an evennumber of figures and may therefore always be divided into .two-figuregroups corresponding to two-figure numbers of the key-table, Fig. 3 orFig. 5, and the same is true of fivenumeral number-messages consistingof an even number of numbers. When, however, a five-numeralnumber-message contains an odd number of numbers, it is obvious that individing the same into two-figure groups a single final figure will beleft, and to provide the tables of the other series.

for translating and transcribing this final iigure I use the extrakey-table shown in Fig. 4, which consists of the numerals O to 9,inclusive, with a different letter, either a vowel or a consonant, inline therewith. This feature, however, is an obvious development of theinvention and forms no` departure therefrom. y

From the foregoing itwill be noted that it is essentialnot only that thecode-tables shall be so numbered or otherwise designated that the tablesofeach series will be distinguished from each other, but also that thetables of one series will be infallibly distinguished from I havedevised and I prefer to employ the method shown and described, whichconsists in employing numbers having three figures each,

eginning with 000 and ending with 999 for one series of tables, andnumbers consisting of two figures each, beginning with 00 and endingwith 99, for the other -series of tables. This scheme supplies adistinctive and infallible method of avoiding confusion of the-tables;but of course I am not confined and do not wish to limit myself to anyparticular plan of numbering the tables.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cipher-code consisting of a plurality ofcode-tables numbered with numbers each `containing not to exceed threefigures, each 'code-table comprising a plurality of numbers of not toexceed two figures each and code expressions in line with the numbers ofsaid code-tables and a key for said code-tables consisting of thenumbers containedl in said code-tables arranged in intersecting rows ywith consonants in line with said rows in one direction and vowels inthe other.

2. A cipher-code consisting of a plurality of code-tables numbered withnumbers containing not to exceed three figures each, each code-tablecomprising a plurality of numbers of two figures each arranged in rowsin two directions and code expressions in line with each row of numbersin both directions and a key for said code-tables consisting of thenumbers contained in said code-tables arranged in intersecting rows withconsonants in line with said rows in one direction and vowels in theother.

3. A cipher-code consisting of a series of code-tables numberedconsecutively with numbers of two figures each, the Jiirst O0, thesecond 01, and so on, each of said tables consisting of the numbers OO,01, &c., to and including 99, and code expressions in line with thenumbers of said code-tables, and a keytable consisting of the numbers0() to 99, in-

clusive, arranged in intersecting rows containing five and twentynumbers each, respectively, with a consonant in line with each row offive numbers and a vowel in line with each row of twenty numbers.

4. A cipher-code for different kinds of inerchandise, comprisingcode-tables for the different kinds of merchandise designated by aseries of table-numbers, each table-number being different from all theother table-nunibers and each table consisting of the numbers 00 to 99,inclusive, arranged in intersecting rows with quantity-designations inline with the rows running in one direction and pricedesignations inline with the rows running in the other direction.

5. A cipher-code for merchandise, comprising a table designated by anidentifying character and consisting of the numbers 00 to 99, inclusive,with4 quantity-designations `and price-designations in coperativerelation to the numbers of said table.

6. A cipher-code comprising a table desig-.

nated by an identifying character and consisting of the numbers UO to99, inclusive, with code expressions in coperative relation to thenumbers of said table.

7. A cipher-code for merchandise comprising a table designated by anumber containing not to exceed three figures and consisting of thenumbers 00 to 99, inclusive, with quantity-designations andprice-designations in coperative relation to the numbers of said table.i

8. A cipher-code comprising a table designated by a number containingnot to exceed three figures and consisting of the numbers 00 to 99,inclusive, with code expressions in coperative relation to the numbersof said table.

9. A cipher-code comprising a series of code-tables designated bydifferent identifying characters, each table consisting of the numbers00 to 99, inclusive, with code expressions arranged in coperativerelation to the numbers of said code-tables.

10. A cipher-code comprising a series of code-tables, designated bydifferent identify- IOO ITO

ing characters, each code-table consisting of the numbers 00 to 99,inelusive, with code expressions arranged in coperative relation to thenumbers of said code-tables and a key for said code-tables comprising atable eon sisting of the same numbers as eaeh of the eodetables andletters comprising vowels and consonants arranged to identify eaohnumber of said key-table.

11. A cipher-code consisting of a series of code-tables numbered withnumbers of two figures each, the rst O0, the second 01, and

so on7 eaeh code-table comprising a similar series of numbers and codeexpressions eooperatively related thereto for translation purposes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 29th day ofOctober, A. D. 1904.

ERNEST E. PETERSON.'

Witnesses:

HARRY E. FOX, HARRY W. Fox.

